Meditation Without All The Rules

I’m quarantined
Like many, I have “self-quarantined” during this strange time in our history. My self-imposed isolation is taking place in our RV (we live and travel in our RV fulltime and have done so for seventeen years) and we are currently located (parked) in an RV park in Texas. Our site has full hookups (fresh water, 50-amp power, and sewer) so we are fully capable of staying here (almost) forever. The “we” I am referring to is my wife and I—no one else and no pets live with us.

Living in an RV and in an RV park, I believe, is an excellent and easy way to “self-quarantine.” We are parked about 20-feet away from our neighbors on either side. Occasionally, some of them sit outside (in lawn chairs) when the weather is cooperating and they continue to maintain a “safe” distance from anyone walking by. It is relatively easy to naturally stay some safe distance “apart” from others whether they are just visiting or live here like us.

As of today, we have been in this area of Texas since mid-November. We lived here (in our house) years ago and since we became fulltime RVers, come back to visit family in the area and for the annual medical stuff that everyone must do. We usually leave this area just after the first of the year. When we leave, we’re typically traveling to somewhere in the USA or Canada in our RV. It’s what we like to do. This year, some medical treatments delayed our normal departure time and then, the quarantine hit and everything stopped. So, we are still in this area.

We have now self-quarantined for 44 days AND our current plan is to continue doing this for another 39 days if needed. At that point, we have to move out of this RV park due to reservations (made months ago by others). We have reservations (also made months ago) at another park only about 10 miles from this one. Those reservations were based on potential medical needs—not the virus.

What Do We Do?
I am very good at just “killing time” but my wife is not. She is rarely sitting around unless a TV is on. I only have it on a couple of hours in the evening. During the day, I read, spend some time on the computer, and I can also just sit on the sofa and stare out the window. I’m not focused on something outside but just “looking at nothing.” To the casual observer, it may look like I am just sitting there doing absolutely nothing, but that would be incorrect. I am usually just thinking while sitting there and have “solved” (or at minimum, “thought-through”) a number of problems as a result of this opportunity and “down” time.

For years, I have called this “Meditation Without All The Rules” and have never felt as though I needed to be told “how” to do this differently or what might improve it. My “thinking process” did NOT start with the quarantine but with the additional downtime resulting from the quarantine, has caused it to vastly improve. Simply, I’m better at it now.

Naps
It must be noted that until about three years ago, I don’t think I ever took a nap. At least I don’t remember taking any during my lifetime. Then, for some unknown reason, one day I just laid back in a recliner and took a daytime nap for about 30 minutes. I’ve done this daily (I rarely miss now) since that time and continue today, during quarantine.

Cooking and Eating
We cook dinner nearly every night and have since the quarantine started. We are great fans of eating out and prior to the quarantine, we probably had dinner at some restaurant (but not at home) at least 3–4 times per week. My guess is we also had lunch out equally as often back then (prior to the quarantine).

Here in Texas, a number of sandwich shops stay open for lunch. You can’t go inside to sit down and eat but can get “carryout” (only). We do this about three times per week, pick it up, and take the food home to eat lunch. It works.

Now, we don’t (and can’t) go out for dinner. Most places are closed but a small number remain open for carryout or delivery. You can get a dinner but must take it home to eat.

We both are good cooks but I prepare dinner probably 90% of the time. I’ve always enjoyed cooking and it helps break the monotony by giving me something different to do. Sometimes we share the preparation but in an RV, with limited space, doing that may become a problem.

What Next?
My goal is to get out of here and take a short trip to somewhere (obviously not to any places still concerned with or controlled by the virus. We have to be back here mid-November (as usual) so when we finish here early summer (with that medical stuff that was started but not completed) and it is safe (by our judgement) to travel, we will go.

Contact the Author…
Ron Jones has written feature articles for all the major RV magazines, 9 RV books, 9 eBoooklets, presented seminars to RVers at every major venue in the USA, and operates a “How to” website for RVers. Ask him about RVing. Trade comments about the quarantine. Hey! It’s something to do.
Email… rej@gte.net